Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, Reed graduated from USI with her bachelor's degree in nursing in 2014. She worked in the ICU at St. Vincent Evansville for six years before practicing as a traveling nurse. In 2020, Reed left the bedside to pursue nursing education full time. In 2021, Reed was offered the opportunity to create a nursing program for Caris College in Jeffersonville, Indiana. There, she pioneered a 12-month accelerated LPN program which produced over 30 graduates with a 97% NCLEX pass rate by the time of her resignation. She then moved back to Evansville to pursue her doctoral degree in nursing practice and to work for her alma mater.